


Friends?  Best Friends

by Jaxon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, Gen, HP AU, Hogwarts, Tumblr Prompt, friendship fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 17:56:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12846450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaxon/pseuds/Jaxon
Summary: After dwelling for far too long on the misery of the Prince's Tale and Snape's Worst Memory, this AU is a tiny drabble of feel-better-fluff....where Lily's reaction is a little closer to what people might expect of a 'best friend'...





	Friends?  Best Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr prompt (truncated): On a more positive note, let's spin a story where Lily did check in with Severus before taking her favorite "arrogant toerag's" side.

“Sev!”  

He turned, and smiled as he saw Lily chasing him across the courtyard.  "Hey.“

"Don’t you ‘hey’ me, where’ve you been?  I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Nowhere.”

“Nowhere?  You’ve been nowhere?”  She gave him a hard stare.  "So that’s why you stood me up on Saturday?“

"Stood you up on…?”  He frowned.  "Oh!  Our flobberworm traps!“

"Yes.  Our flobberworm traps.”  She gave him a hard stare.  "I should keep your half as punishment.“

"You wouldn’t,” he laughed, before a flicker of a frown crossed his features.  “…would you?”

She indicated back at the castle.  "And I’ve just been down to the dungeons to find you.“

"To the dungeons?  I’ve told you not to go down t-”

“Well, what was I supposed to do?  You’ve been missing all weekend, and today you skipped out on double Potions!”

Snape looked uncomfortable.

“-and when I asked Sluggy where you were, he seemed flummoxed that you were missing, and mumbled something about you probably being in the library!”

“Well, I do sit quietly at the back,” Snape said, looking awkward.  He lowered his voice.  "Look, between you and me, I went to see Pomfrey.“

"All weekend?”  She stopped and leant against a pillar, looking up with concern at her best friend.  "Wait…you were in the hospital wing?“  She looked astonished.  "It’s true, then?”

He bristled.  "What’s true?“

"What Potter and his lot are saying.  About saving your neck-”

Snape’s whole face contorted and he spluttered.  "Saving my neck?  Potter?  You believe that?“

"No,” she said, vehemently.  "That’s why I’m asking you.“

"But you think he was playing the hero?”

“I’m just telling you what I’ve heard.”

“…go on.”

“Apparently, you were sneaking around by the Whomping Willow, and whatever’s down there-”

Snape scoffed.  "And did he mention why he was down there?“

"What?”

“Did Potter tell you why  _he_ was down there?  Apart from apparently saving my neck?”

“…no.”

“They sneak out at night.  The three of them.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?  It doesn’t mean you have to start doing it as well,” she retorted, hotly.  "Just because Potter’s arrogant and breaking school rules-“

"Yes, but what are the three of them doing after dark?”

Lily frowned, catching his meaning.  "Four, surely?“

"One doesn’t go with them.”  He paused for dramatic effect.  "Lil, what if one of them is already out?  Legitimately.  And the rest of them are joining him?“

"Is this your ridiculous theory about Lupin again?” she asked, coldly.  "I’ve told you, they say he’s ill.“

"Every month at the full moon?”

“…they wouldn’t allow it.  Not at Hogwarts.”

“No?”

“It’s not safe.”

Snape gave her a twisted smile.  "You’re telling me.  …it’s been a long weekend.“

Lily looked aghast.  "Sev, if it’s true, what on earth made you go looking?”

He flushed, suddenly embarrassed.

“Was it a bet?”  She dropped her voice.  "Did Avery and Mulciber put you up to this?“

"What?  No!”

“Mulciber’s creepy enough,” she ranted.  "Do you know what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day?“

"Ah, that was nothing,” said Snape.  "It was a laugh, that’s all-“

"It was Dark Magic, and if you think that’s funny-”

“We were talking about Potter,” Snape interrupted.

“What’s Potter got to do with with Mary and Mulciber?”

“He fancies you.  James Potter.  He fancies you.”  The words seemed wrenched from him against his will.  "And he’s not…everyone thinks…big Quidditch hero-“  Snape’s bitterness and dislike were rendering him incoherent, and Lily’s eyebrows were travelling farther and farther up her forehead.

"I know James Potter’s an arrogant toerag,” she said, cutting across Snape.  "I don’t need you to tell me that.  But Mulciber’s and Avery’s idea of humour is just evil.  Evil, Sev.  I don’t understand how you can be friends with them.“

"They’re just people I know,” he said, quietly.  "Like you know Potter.“

"I don’t kno-”  She frowned at him.  "Oh.  Just housemates, you mean?“  She gave him a hard stare.  "You see an awful lot of them for ‘just housemates’.”

“I’m not like you, Lil,” he mumbled, his face growing scarlet.  "I’m not exactly Mr Popular.  Hardly anyone else in our year speaks to me.“

"It doesn’t mean you have to accept Avery and Mulciber’s friendship,” she said, looking uncomfortable at his admission.  "You’re better than that.“

"It’s better than being alone.”

“You’re not alone, you idiot,” she said, looping her arm through his.  "You’ve got me.  Best friends, remember?“

He grinned broadly.  "Still?”

“Forever.”


End file.
